Hong Kong's government was urged Monday to adopt new typhoon warning signals to avoid the multi-million dollar losses suffered during past storm-prone summers.

Legislator James Tien, head of the business-oriented Liberal Party, was cited by government-run radio RTHK as calling on the government to adopt a new typhoon signal to avoid shutting Hong Kong down during mild storms.

Currently there is a five-level warning system in Hong Kong and all activities come to a halt when the number eight warning is hoisted to signal a possible direct hit.

Before 1973 typhoon warning number's five, six and seven were also used, but these had been grouped into signal eight to avoid possible confusion arising from the interchanging of signals.

Last summer Hong Kong was shut down with the approach of at least four storms which then veered away before causing much damage.

Financial analysts, however, believed the cost to Hong Kong of its encounter with those typhoons could come to 512 Hong Kong dollars for each of its 6.8 million residents -- Hong Kong (AFP)